Couple who owned Fort Worth mortuary now face theft charges for taking money, failing to cremate bodies



A Fort Worth couple charged with abuse of a corpse after their funeral home was shut down last summer now face theft charges.

Dondre Johnson and Rachel Hardy Johnson were indicted last week, accused of accepting payments and dead bodies in exchange for services they did not intend to deliver, according to the Tarrant County district attorney’s office.

The charges carry a possible sentence of up to two years and $10,000 in fines.

The couple was first charged in July after Fort Worth police found the bodies of six adults, one child and an infant at the Johnson Family Mortuary on South Handley Drive. The bodies were supposed to be cremated but were found decaying in unrefrigerated rooms. The infant had been dead for two years.

The Johnsons denied the bodies were mishandled, but both were charged with abuse of a corpse.

Hardy Johnson was later charged with federal fraud charges, as well. She’s accused of fraudulently filing for food stamps and other government benefits.

“We’ve done nothing wrong,” said Dondre Johnson, who runs the business with his wife, Rachel. “This is a funeral home. This is where dead bodies belong.”

I thought that dead bodies belonged in the Hebei Provence of northern China.

some do.

the police are only harassing them because they're black...if it had been a white owner...

Hell there were bodies still in there no refrigeration and families were told they had been cremated.... There some bodies they had no clue who they belonged too for they had been in there for a while... Pretty sick ...

This same type situation happened in Georgia ( I think Georgia.. or one of the other southern states) about 10 years ago. The funeral home was just stock piling ashes.. like a coal bin. and scooping them up and putting them in urns to give to families. All said and done, like 100 families had no idea who's ashes were in the urn given to them.

Of course they were shut down, but if I remember correctly the criminal charges were minor.. based on the law of that particular state.. like a slap on the wrist.

Sick stuff... And I think it happens more then we know.

They were going to have a big sale on used coffins.

Speaking of coffins, I was in Los Angeles while back.. in a strip mall. And there was a coffin store.. store front type place ( next to a ice cream store). Stopped me in my tracks. They had the coffins propped up like a furniture store would have Lazy Boy recliners.

What is the mindset?.. to purchase the coffin on sale and leave it in your garage until you need it.. who does that?

Just thought it weird.

unfortunately a lot of people in the US do just that.

Garage be as good a place as any!
Be sort of morbid,though!

Some people use coffins as coffee tables.

Used ones?

Well, maybe. I didn't go in and inquire.. but maybe they had a rental dept.... maybe even a repo division.. ( it was L.A. after all) a little fabreeze air freshener... a little Turtle Wax shine job.. and good as new!!

It was September.. I made a note to go back in December... try to get a good deal on some close outs...year end clearance. you know, buy one get one at 1/2 price... and free shipping